Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest, Bishop, California. "Great Basin Bristlecone Pine are believed to be around 1,000-4,800 years old. Due to cold temperatures, dry soils, high winds, & short growing seasons, the trees grow very slowly. One of the oldest living trees on earth, just shy of 5,000 years old, is nicknamed “Methuselah” (after the longest-lived person in the Bible)." (USDA Forest Service visitor info: http://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/inyo/specialplaces/?cid=stelprdb5129900 .)

Best national parks: Avoid the crowds

Great Basin National Park. Based around Wheeler Peak, the Great Basin has 5,000-year-old bristlecone pines, glacial moraines, and the limestone Lehman Caves. It has some of the country's darkest night skies, and there are animal species including Townsend's big-eared bat, Pronghorn, and Bonneville cutthroat trout.

Great Basin National Park

Great Basin National park is a United States National Park established in 1986, located in east-central Nevada near the Utah border. The park derives its name from the Great Basin, the dry and mountainous region between the Sierra Nevada and the Wasatch Mountains.

Great Basin National Park- A Hidden Gem

Looking for secluded wilderness? Head to Great Basin National Park in Nevada, one of the least visited National Parks. Hiking Wheeler Peak, camping, caving and seclusion. Click through to read about our trip.